Organ Donation and Transplantation Organ donation law in England On 20 May 2020, the law around organ donation in England was changed to allow more people to save more lives. Watch this animation Watch this animation in British sign language or another language The law around organ donation in Scotland changed to an opt-out system on Friday 26th March 2021. Under the new system, all adults aged 16 and over who have not confirmed whether they want to be a donor, will be considered to be willing to donate their organs and tissue when they die, unless they choose to opt-out. You can still choose whether or not you want to be an organ and tissue donor by registering your decision and telling your family. Your faith, beliefs and culture will always be respected. The NHS has launched their Leave Them Certain campaign. The campaign aims to encourage families to talk about organ donation. What can you donate? Types of organ donation Everyone has a choice as to whether or not they want to become an organ donor after they die, and if you choose to donate, you can choose to donate either some or all of your organs. By registering to become an organ donor you have the option to donate organs such as your heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel. All of these forms of donation can greatly enhance or even save the life of someone in need. To find out more, please click one of the links below. Heart Lungs Liver Kidneys Pancreas Small bowel Donating your kidney Kidneys are the most commonly donated organs by living people, and about a third of all kidney transplants carried out in the UK are from living donors. In the UK living kidney transplants have been performed since 1960 and currently around 1,100 such operations are performed each year, with a very high success rate. A kidney transplant can transform the life of someone with kidney disease. What is living kidney donation - How can you help? Donating to someone you don't know - See how it works Living with one kidney - all you need to know Donating a kidney to a child - what you need to consider Donor health considerations - How health is assessed Practical and cultural considerations - things to think about The UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme If you are not a suitable 'match' for someone you wish to donate to, it may be possible for you to join a sharing scheme and be matched with another donor recipient pair in the same situation and for the donor kidneys to be 'exchanged' or 'swapped'. About the UK Living Kidney Sharing Scheme (PDF, 263KB) What you need to know before and after a kidney transplant A kidney transplant is a treatment option for many patients who have long-term kidney failure. This is also known as chronic or end-stage kidney failure. During a kidney transplant, a kidney is removed from one person (the donor) and given to another person (the recipient). Kidneys can be donated from living donors or from those who have died (deceased donors). For more details click here Writing to a donor family or recipient NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have provided advisory materials to help you write your letter, card or email to a donor family or recipient. Watch NHSBT's videos to hear from people who have written and received letters themselves, or who are still deciding what to do. In this video, transplant recipient Jess and donor family mum Liz explore the power of words. Jess’s life was saved by a family like Liz’s agreeing to organ donation. What is the process? Write your letter, card or email. Avoid sharing any information that would make you personally identifiable Your correspondence will be read by your transplant coordinator or a member of the Donor Family Care Service team, to check it doesn’t reveal identifiable information A photocopy is kept on file for future reference The Donor Family Care Service match your correspondence with your donor Transplant recipients or a member of the donor’s family are told that correspondence is available to them, depending on who has made contact first If the person wishes to receive your correspondence, it is forwarded in a separate envelope to be opened at their discretion Writing to your living donor NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) have provided advisory materials to help you write your letter, card or email to your living donor.Watch NHSBT's video to hear from people who have written and received letters themselves. What is the process? Write your letter, card or email. Avoid sharing any information that would make you personally identifiable Your correspondence will be read by the living donor coordinator, to check it doesn’t reveal identifiable information A photocopy is kept on file for future reference The living donor coordinator will match your correspondence with your donor Your living donor will be told that your correspondence is available to them If your donor wishes to receive your correspondence, it will be forwarded in a separate envelope to be opened at their discretion For more information please view the NHSBT's Writing to your Living Donor leaflet here Human Tissue Authority - The regulator for human tissue and organs Guidance for living organ donors on their processes The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) guidance has been written for people who are going to become living organ donors. It explains what kind of organisation they are, their role in the regulation of all living organ donations, and what you need to know before you donate an organ. This guidance also explains the Independent Assessment process that a person would undergo. HTA website
The Human Tissue Authority (HTA) guidance has been written for people who are going to become living organ donors. It explains what kind of organisation they are, their role in the regulation of all living organ donations, and what you need to know before you donate an organ. This guidance also explains the Independent Assessment process that a person would undergo. HTA website